How Arte En Oro Began:
Rebeca Cardenas started designing her own pieces with her New York-based jeweler over a decade ago. It began after a trip to Key West and a visit to the Mel Fisher Museum. "I wanted to recreate a piece reminiscent of the lost treasures of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha," a Spanish treasure galleon that sank off the Florida Keys in 1622. "I was absolutely enchanted by the glowing emeralds and brilliant gold jewelry remnants from this tragic wreck, I wanted to wear something resembling it, something to acknowledge it, it was my passion project." After numerous inquiries and compliments on the piece, Arte En Oro was born out of demand for personalized custom pieces.